Learning from South Africa

Date: November 11 2012

Geoff Lawson

SOUTH Africa has worked hard to earn its No. 1 Test ranking. It has been especially effective when playing away from home, a feat considered almost impossible before International Cricket Council umpires and the futures tours program or a pantheon of fast bowlers.

Most recently the Proteas have won 2-0 in England to take the ICC mace of Test domination, a run that began with a historic 2-0 win in Australia three years before. Much like Australia's stay on the top rung, South Africa has developed a winning culture based around some champion players. Dale Steyne, Morne Morkel and, in the past 12 months, Vernon Philander are a formidable attack. The old cricket adage correctly states that bowlers win matches, batsmen save them.

In Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla and A.B de Villiers they have the batting to set matches into positions of safety and then unleash the bowlers.

Missing from the winning formula is injured and retired wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, his lengthy combative career cut off by a serious eye injury. The combinations formed in high-pressure batting and fielding situations has provided the framework for the team to know, and - as Alviro Petersen said the other day - to trust the others completely.

Trust meant in the sense that each individual is seen by the others as able to perform to their potential in any situation.

The Australian teams under Allan Border, then Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor had these characteristics. Border's teams built their resilience through adversity and then along came the genius of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist to extend the dynasty.

The current Australian team doesn't contain similar characters. Ricky Ponting (pictured) certainly was one, but his powers are waning. Mike Hussey has been a champion but age is catching up. Michael Clarke can play mercurial innings as he did in Cape Town 12 months ago, but the others are fighting for their positions with every trip to the crease.

The bowling line-up has terrific potential with time on its side to become a significant and lasting strike force, but it's still a work in progress. The uncertainty in the batting order and personnel is telling.

The great thing about the Australian team, whatever the XI, is that it will fight to the last wicket or run. Raw courage and never-say-die mindsets can be effective against opponents who hesitate and falter. This South African team hasn't faltered too often on foreign soil recently.

It is logical that the Proteas were the bookies' favourites going into this series but the odds weren't separated by a wide margin. For Australia to survive in Brisbane it needs individual potential exceeded and greens rubbed in its favour - or maybe now, the weather.

Friday's bowling wasn't poor but it was far from the standard needed to compete with the best in the world.

The intention was present but not the intensity. The pace bowlers delivered below their top pace, lengths and lines were barely adequate, especially with the new ball on a new-ball pitch. Was fitness an issue? Why couldn't the bowlers hit top speed and still be delivering rockets at sunset as they should have been at sun up? Too much white-ball cricket could be blamed along with inadequate first-class match preparation.

Picking the most efficient combination to dissect the tourists' batting would have been necessary as well. The selectors, who include the captain and coach, went for an all-right-armed attack, which is not taboo if one is Malcolm Marshall or Steyne and the other Joel Garner or Morkel. Peter Siddle and James Pattinson have similar release points. Ben Hilfenhaus is slightly different but all are about the same pace, Pattinson a yard or so quicker. The research on Smith's, Kallis' and Hashim Amla's dismissals can't have been too comprehensive. They fall to left-arm bowlers more often than right on a pro-rata of balls faced.

Mitchell Starc is tall and swings it, is in form and is getting splinters sitting on the bench. Getting early wickets was always going to be vital if Australia was to challenge. That didn't happen.

Captains like variety in the attack as it forces batsmen to change their stances, visual angles and scoring zones. Bowlers can change where to bowl, the type of delivery, use the crease, go around the wicket and change the field placements. It's also nice to be able to change the bowling and bring on someone with a point of difference.

Clarke does not have that option in this Test. His variety is off-spin, Michael Hussey and Rob Quiney. Champion teams are not built on part-time, medium-slow offerings.

Selectors have to pick the most efficient team, they need to get the balance and right with available options and seek every advantage, such as getting bowling match-ups correct and batting your best man at No. 3.

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